South Africa: De Lille Lays Fraud, Defamation Charges Against Senior DA Members

Former Cape Town mayor Patricia de Lille has laid charges of defamation along with fraud against four DA members in relation to a forged post they distributed on social media, purporting to be via the Auditor-General of South Africa.

De Lille laid the charges of fraud, defamation along with crimen injuria at the Cape Town Central police station on Thursday morning.

“I am laying these charges at This kind of point, as my recent unemployed status has allowed me time to deal with important matters such as This kind of in which my busy diary as the Executive Mayor of Cape Town did not allow me to undertake,” reads her statement to the media.

The four DA members are: Deputy chief whip Mike Waters, member of the National Council of Provinces Bronwyn Engelbrecht, Henk Hugo along with Shehana Kajee.

“I am taking This kind of action because of the serious nature of the fraud, as well as the total disregard along with disrespect shown to the office of the Auditor-General by public representatives,” De Lille said.

“I am also doing This kind of because I value the rights along with protection in which our Constitution should afford our society along with citizens, because I love my country along with because I want to ensure in which all citizens are treated equally along with protected by the laws in which we fought so hard for.”

In April, at least four DA members shared a post – purporting to come via the AG – on social media, which implicated De Lille in wrongdoing.

News24 confirmed with the AG in May in which the “report” was fake.

The DA at the time said the document was never an official communication via the party along with had not been shared on any official DA platforms, nor had This kind of formed part of the then disciplinary matter between De Lille along with the party.

“Any DA leader or member who has shared This kind of has simply fallen prey to fake news on social media platforms, which is usually quite common,” DA deputy federal council chairperson Natasha Mazzone said at the time.

Waters told News24 in May in which he had no idea in which the document was a fake. He had simply “reposted” This kind of via social media.

In May, Engelbrecht also said in which she had seen the document on Facebook originally along with had decided to repost This kind of, however couldn’t say where she had initially seen This kind of.

“The Auditor-General subsequently confirmed in which the statements were fake along with the document pretending to represent This kind of Chapter 9 institution was forged,” De Lille continued on Thursday.

‘They have already lost litigation against me’

“This kind of is usually indefensible in which elected politicians, entrusted to support along with uphold our Constitution, sought to undermine a sacred Chapter 9 institution. These Chapter 9 institutions – the Public Protector, the Auditor-General along with the Electoral Commission – exist to support along with protect our constitutional democracy.”

De Lille said she had also laid a formal party complaint regarding the distribution of the post with chairperson of the DA’s federal council, James Selfe.

“Only months later, on September 27, 2018, DA leader Mmusi Maimane wrote to the AG, stating in which the party cannot take responsibility for what his supporters share on their social media sites.

“However, Mmusi, these are not DA supporters, they are DA members, elected senior leaders in some cases, of the party. They MUST be accountable to the public, they MUST adhere to the DA’s social media policy, the DA constitution along with the South African Constitution. In failing to acknowledge his responsibility to deal with intolerance along with lies spread by elected leaders within his own party, Mmusi has failed the DA along with failed South Africa,” De Lille charged.

She wrote an open letter to the four in October, asking them to issue a public apology, along with also wrote to National Assembly Speaker Baleka Mbete.

“I am disappointed in which the DA has reputedly indicated in which This kind of is usually not necessary for its members to apologise for these deplorable actions, along with in which Once more its funders are committed to pay for further unwinnable court action.

“They have already lost litigation against me earlier This kind of year, with the court in addition awarding costs to my legal team.”

No matter how ignorant an elected official is usually of the Constitution or of its values along with principles, Chapter 9 institution documents should not be forged to suit political whims, De Lille said.

“I thus appeal to the South African Police Services to evaluate the evidence I am submitting along with to thoroughly investigate along with pursue these fraud charges along with take the necessary action to protect our democratic institutions.”